QUESTION:

I stay in Cape Town South Africa and at times we have very early Fajr. Which took me to this question that whether it’s okay to sleep after Fajr Salah or not?

ANSWER:

It is a Sunnah to stay awake after the Fajr prayer doing the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah until the sun has risen, and to then pray 2 rak’ah of optional prayer (salah tul ishraq).

The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) has stated that the reward of praying these 2 rak’ah are as if you have freed 4 slaves from the Bani Isra’il and reward of a Hajj & an Umrah.

However it is not compulsory and even if you sleep after praying Fajr it is not a sin.

Abu Dawud (رضي الله عنه) narrates:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏ لأَنْ أَقْعُدَ مَعَ قَوْمٍ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى مِنْ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُعْتِقَ أَرْبَعَةً مِنْ وَلَدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَلأَنْ أَقْعُدَ مَعَ قَوْمٍ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ إِلَى أَنْ تَغْرُبَ الشَّمْسُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُعْتِقَ أَرْبَعَةً

The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) said, “That I sit in the company of the people who remember Allah the Exalted from morning prayer till the sun rises is dearer to me than that I emancipate four slaves from the children of Isra’il, and that I sit with the people who remember Allah from afternoon prayer till the sun sets is dearer to me than that I emancipate four slaves.”

[Abu Dawud Book 26, Hadith 27]

Imam Tirmidhi (رضي الله عنه) narrates:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ مَنْ صَلَّى الْغَدَاةَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَانَتْ لَهُ كَأَجْرِ حَجَّةٍ وَعُمْرَةٍ

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) said, “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun has risen, then he prays two rak’ah, then for him is the reward like that of a Hajj and Umrah.”

[Tirmidhi Book 6, Hadith 43]

Allah knows best.

Answered by Mawlana Mohammed Kashif

Also see:

[Q-ID0414] If I missed Fajr prayer due to sleep, do I make it up as soon as I wake up?

[Q-ID0359] What are the sunnah times of sleeping? Is it okay to sleep lying on the stomach?

[Q-ID0320] Do I have to sleep before I can pray Tahajjud?

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